Rip Van Who?
by Zohar
Summary: Better be careful where you fall asleep... you never know when you might wake up.
1. Training for Kicks

_My note: characters, places, things, and events, belong to their respective owners. I make no claim on them._

**Rip Van Who?**   
_1. Training for Kicks_

A sonic boom disrupted the tranquil silence over a string of small, unexplored, tropical islands, the only relief from the monotony of the blue sea. The wind picked up. Moments ago, the azure sky had been empty, clear, not a cloud in sight. 

The wind died down again. Now, two girls hung in the air over the largest of the islands. The younger girl, younger by only half a year, looked around, brushing her shoulder-length dark hair from her warm dark eyes. She was about six years old, already stronger than most people on the planet. The girl was dressed in an orange gi, similar to the kind her grandpa used to wear. 

The other girl, just turned seven years old, had her aquamarine hair up in a ponytail to keep it from her bright blue eyes. She resembled her mother very closely in looks, and sometimes resembled her father in temperament. She was dressed in a pair of white sweats and a red tee shirt that proudly proclaimed her name: Bra. 

"Here should be okay, right?" Bra asked. She glanced around. There were no people anywhere nearby, so they didn't need to worry about being seen. There was land, water, and air: the perfect training ground. 

"Looks good," Pan said cheerfully. 

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather play at my house?" Bra asked hopefully. 

"Come on. You promised!" Pan whined, frowning slightly. "I watched your cartoons, so you have to train with me! Don't you want to get stronger?" 

"Well, I would like to make papa proud of me," Bra considered for a moment. Then she nodded, a determined look on her young face. "Alright! Power up to full?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Pan nodded her head enthusiastically. 

The girls dropped into the stance that had become so familiar to them both. Bra reached inside feeling for the energy that she knew she'd find there. It was just a matter of bringing that suppressed power out. She screamed, a look of fierce concentration on her young face. The wind picked up, and a blue-white flame burst into existence around the seven-year-old's body. Reaching her limit, Bra stopped screaming, relaxed her stance. 

"Hey! You got stronger since the last time," said Pan enthusiastically. Bra grinned proudly. Pan flexed her arms almost experimentally, before turning her attention inward. She started to scream. The wind roared around the two girls, but they completely ignored it. A similar blue-white flame exploded into existence around Pan as she reached for her maximum. 

"Alright!" Bra said cheerfully. "Ready? Go!" 

Pan launched herself at Bra at the same time that Bra launched herself at Pan. The two girls collided mid-air, trading blows that would've flattened whole buildings. Pan attacked Bra with a flurry of punches. Bra managed to dodge a couple of them, block a couple more, but a lot of them hit. Bra flew back, gathering her energy to counter with a blast. Pan charged into it, and was thrown back by the resulting explosion. 

Pan charged forward again. Bra was ready. The two girls traded blows again, fighting fiercely. Pan managed to get the upper hand, landing a devastating kick to Bra's gut. Bra doubled over, the air driven from her lungs. Pan drove her fists into Bra's back, sending the aquamarine-haired girl spinning down towards the largest of the islands. 

About halfway down, Bra regained control of her own direction. She spun around in mid-air and laughed. "Good one! Hide and seek!" She yelled up at Pan. She fired a couple of half-hearted energy blasts up at Pan, before shooting down towards the island. 

"Hey! Come back here!" Pan yelled, batting Bra's energy attacks out of the way. She quickly accelerated down to the island, slowing just in time to land. "Come on! We're supposed to be training," Pan complained loudly. 

Suddenly, she was bombarded by a half dozen energy attacks. Pan was too preoccupied with defending herself against them to stop Bra's sudden onslaught. The seven-year-old appeared out of nowhere, shooting towards Pan. She landed a couple of punches, before sending Pan hurtling back with a powerful kick. 

"Papa always says that anything can happen in a fight!" Bra chirped cheerfully. The girl dashed forward to press her advantage, but Pan was quick to recover. She rolled, changed her momentum, using Bra's, throwing her friend through the air. 

Bra collided with the side of a nearby cliff. The rock shattered under the force of the impact and Bra fell to the ground. For a moment, she struggled to get up. She saw Pan coming in to win, and gathered her ki for another energy attack. Was it just her imagination, or were the surroundings getting foggy? She didn't have time to speculate. 

Bra hurled her attack at Pan, but her friend wasn't one to be caught by the same trick twice; she quickly gathered her own energy to counter Bra's attack. The sky vanished, leaving both girls alone in complete darkness, surrounded by an increasingly thick fog. Was somebody calling the Eternal Dragon, Bra wondered. 

Neither of the two girls took paid too much attention to the sudden change in their surroundings. They were consumed with winning the contest of wills. Both poured more and more of their energy into the attack, instinctively knowing that whoever won this would win the game. 

"You… really… improved," Pan said through gritted teeth. 

"Thanks…" Bra responded. "You… too…" 

The two girls reached an unspoken agreement, and poured all of their remaining energy into the battle. The brilliant mass of energy exploded, throwing the two girls. Bra slammed into a wall invisible in the darkness, and dropped to the ground, exhausted. Pan did the same a moment later, but managed to stumble over to her friend before collapsing. 

"I think we overdid it a little," said Bra, breathing heavily. 

"Yeah," Pan said, a happy smile on her face. "Now, it's nap time." Bruised, battered, completely exhausted, the girls fell asleep in this strange place. Neither of them even noticed the lone figure, standing by a tall set of doors, holding a large key-shaped staff… 

*** 


	2. The Future Unfolds

_My note: guess this is falling into one of the big cliché groups. The difference: this was actually based on an episode of Sailor Moon, in which what's-his-name actually was a bad guy. Let me know what you think. Be brutally honest. It won't change a thing._

**Rip Van Who?**   
_2. The Future Unfolds_

"Hello. Anderson residence," said Amy, answering the ringing phone. Outside, the weather was bitterly cold, unrelenting snow blanketed the city. 

"Hey, Amy?" A familiar voice answered. "That you? It's me, Greg." 

"Greg, where are you? You sound so close," Amy said, smiling fondly at the memory of her friend. Greg had once carried a Rainbow Crystal inside of him. It had given him the power to see the future, an ability that had remained, even after the Crystal was removed. 

"Yeah," Greg responded. "I'm just here for the weekend with my folks." 

"Hey, why don't you come over?" Amy suggested. She had feelings for the boy, but she really didn't know how to act on them. She got to see Greg so rarely these days. 

"I can't, Amy," said Greg, "but listen. Turn on your TV, okay?" Amy wondered what all this was about, but she leaned over and turned on the television. 

There was a special news report on, and Amy was shocked to see a picture of Peggy Jones, an artist and former carrier of another Rainbow Crystal. The news reporter said something, but Amy was too stunned to make it out. 

"That's Peggy Jones. The artist?" Greg said. "She's one of the carriers of those Rainbow Crystals, and she's missing, Amy." 

"Missing? You mean like kidnapped?" Amy asked, suddenly worried. 

"Uh huh. They're after me too. I had a vision about it. The Negaverse is trying to round up the seven Crystal carriers," said Greg seriously. "There's more. There's a girl. Young, maybe seven, with blue hair and eyes. She's way dangerous Ames, so strong it's unreal." He paused, as if he was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. 

"What is it, Greg? What's wrong?" Amy asked. 

"It's like the Negaverse has been holding her in reserve," Greg said. "She's only seven, but she could easily destroy a planet with her power." Amy gasped, felt her jaw drop involuntarily. Greg continued. "Her future's uncertain, like she isn't even supposed to be here." 

"Wh-where are you?" Amy asked. "I'll get the girls. We'll protect you." 

"No, that's not a good idea," Greg said, his voice sounded both urgent and worried. Amy got the impression that he had seen more, that he was holding something back. "I'm just going to have to try to outrun them." 

"But, Greg—" Greg hung up the phone. He took a deep breath, looking around. The street was busy. Maybe he could hide here. He stepped from the phone booth. 

Greg squeezed his eyes shut. He could still remember his vision. He still saw Sailor Mercury's – Amy's – lifeless eyes staring up at him. Her bloodstained uniform casting a sickening contrast against the harsh white of fresh snow. 

A little way away, Sailor Jupiter – one of Amy's friends – was struggling for breath, her breathing in short gasps. Jupiter's eyes were blank, unseeing, her body was beaten, broken. 

And then there was the violent golden aura. 

"I won't let that happen," Greg muttered, shaking his head, trying to rid himself of the frightening nightmare. He started walking, moving, just not staying in one place for too long. 

*** 

Amy asked her friends to meet at Cherry Hill temple, calling an emergency meeting to tell them all about what Greg told her. As usual, Serena wasn't really paying attention, her attention focused instead on a comic book. 

"So, Greg's back in town, and he thinks the Negaverse is after him?" Mina asked. 

"Yes," said Amy, nodding. "He had a vision about it." 

"Wonder what they're up to," said Artemis. The small white cat shook his head. "The Negaverse knows something we don't. Why else would they be going after Greg and the others all over again?" 

"What are you waiting for?" Lita asked, standing up quickly. 

"There's more," Amy said calmly. "He mentioned a young girl with enough power to destroy the planet, and I had a feeling that he wasn't telling me everything he knew." She paused, allowing the details to sink in. "He doesn't want us going up against her, that's for sure." 

"That's great," said Mina. "I'm not looking forward to going up against someone that powerful either, but if she's working for the Negaverse, then she has to be evil, and that means we have to stop her." 

"Come on, Amy," said Lita. 

"Where? Greg wouldn't… He refused to even tell me where he was calling from," Amy said, sounding a little hurt. She knew that Greg meant well, but she still felt a little dismayed that he didn't trust her enough to take care of herself. 

"I think I saw him before you called," said Lita. "He-he's probably wandering around downtown somewhere." Amy nodded, and stood up. "Grandpa's probably next. Better watch him, Rei," Lita said, laughing. She and Amy quickly left. 

*** 

"Hello, Greg." Greg looked up at the tall man. Greg knew the man's face well; he had seen Prince Darien, Champion of the Negaverse, in a vision too. The man had short black hair and cold blue eyes. He was dressed entirely in black, wearing sunglasses, even though the sun had set hours ago. 

"Sorry," said Greg. "You must have mistaken me for someone else." He tried to move past Darien, but Darien moved to stop him. 

"Oh come on," said Darien. "Don't play innocent. It's pointless." 

"I really don't know what you're talking about," said Greg, still trying to convince Darien that he was just another bystander. It was difficult, because even he didn't buy the story coming out of his mouth. 

"I thought you were supposed to be so smart. Some kind of fortune teller with visions of the future? Now, come on. Tell me, Greg. What reason could I have for talking to you?" Greg paused, wondering what to say. He knew that there was no point in continuing the ruse. 

"You want to take me back to the Negaverse with all the others," Greg said finally. Darien smiled, a cold calm smile that Greg didn't like at all. 

"You got it, Greg, so you must know there's just really no point in fighting me," said Darien, smugly. "Or maybe it's not me that you're worried about." 

As if on cue, the seven-year-old stepped out from behind Greg. She wore her azure hair in a high ponytail. Her skin was pale, unhealthy looking. Her eyes, Greg shivered. Her eyes were devoid of life, completely empty; she was obviously under a powerful spell. She was dressed in a denim skirt, blue tights, a powder blue tee shirt, and a denim jacket, no doubt so that she could pass for any other little girl. Greg knew better. 

"You don't know what you're messing with," Greg said, glancing at the little girl. "But I don't have to fight you, you Negaverse lackey. The way I see it, I get away from you without exchanging a blow." 

Darien didn't like that. "Don't insult me, boy." 

"Your shades are blinding you, geek," said Greg, a smirk crossing his face. 

Darien looked confused for a moment, almost surprised. "Huh?" 

"Someone help me!" Greg yelled. The passing bystanders turned to see what was going on. "Stop this guy! Help!" The crowd pressed in around Darien, preventing him from moving. Greg pushed his way through the crowd, away from Darien. He knew he didn't have much time left. He just had to keep running. 

*** 

Greg was starting to feel the effects of constantly running, but he couldn't let himself slow down, he couldn't let the people chasing him have the chance to catch up. He skidded to a halt, turning quickly and running into an alley. 

The boy stumbled, tripping over an empty box that he hadn't seen. He landed painfully on the ground, rolling to a halt. Greg picked himself up, forcing himself to ignore the pain. 

There were two people waiting for him at the other end of the alley. For a moment, his heart sank as he realised that he was caught, but that changed when he recognised the shorter of the two girls. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter stood ready to fight off the people chasing him. 

There was fresh snow on the ground. 

"No!" Greg yelled. "No! You have to run!" 

"Too late," said Prince Darien. The girls looked up at the source of the voice: Prince Darien perched on a fire escape, calmly watching them. Darien had changed; he now wore black armour and a sharp-looking sword. Darien leapt to the ground. "Are these your bodyguards now?" Darien asked, his voice filled with more than a little amusement at the situation. "This should be fun." 

"Hey, that's Darien!" Sailor Mercury realised. 

"Correction: Prince Darien, Champion of the Negaverse," said Darien. "Now out of my way, if you wanna stay healthy. It's not you I want, girls. It's your friend." 

"Sailor Mercury, get Greg outta here," said Sailor Jupiter, her voice burning with conviction, her face wearing a resolved look. Sailor Mercury didn't understand. "I wanna teach this guy a lesson," Sailor Jupiter said, with a smirk. 

"No, you go," said Sailor Mercury. "I'll fight him." Darien looked uninterested in who tried to fight him. In his opinion, it would end the same way in either case. 

"No," said Jupiter. "It would really be better if _you_ go, because of what we talked about." She gave her friend a smile. She and Amy had discussed Amy's feelings for Greg. 

"But…" Mercury started, not sure which she was more afraid of: confronting and admitting her feelings for the psychic boy, or fighting with the brainwashed prince. 

"Now get lost," said Jupiter. 

"Okay, but be careful. I'll call for help," Sailor Mercury relented. She turned, and grabbed Greg by the arm. He resisted only a moment, before he and Sailor Mercury were running. 

"Alright, traitor," Sailor Jupiter said. "You ready to rumble? No way we're letting you capture Greg. We know what you're up to, pal. This is the end of the line." Sailor Jupiter dropped into a defensive stance, watching Prince Darien through narrowed eyes, watching for the merest suggestion of an attack. All she had to do was buy her friends some time to get away. 

Darien just laughed. "I'd like to introduce you to someone," he said. He looked around. "Come on out, Bra." A seven-year-old girl appeared, in a blur of motion. In any other instance, she would have been an adorable child, but the dead look in her eyes told Jupiter that this girl was a servant of the Negaverse. This was doubtless the girl with the power to destroy the world. 

"So now you need a little kid to fight your battles for you?" Jupiter asked, trying to goad Darien into a fight. If what Amy said was true, she stood a much better chance against Darien than she did against Bra. 

"Deal with her, Bra," Darien ordered. 

Bra extended her hand. She frowned slightly. Sailor Jupiter was thrown back. She was slammed against the alley wall. The little girl did it again, harder this time. Jupiter screamed in pain, the impact no doubt breaking a few bones. 

Bra didn't even seem to be exerting herself. Her feet left the ground, and she floated forward. She picked Jupiter up by the throat. Jupiter tried to fight the vice-grip on her throat, but the little girl was much too strong. "Jupiter… Thunder…" Sailor Jupiter gasped. A small antenna extended itself from Sailor Jupiter's tiara. Storm clouds formed overhead. "Crash!" 

A bolt of lightning streaked down towards them. Jupiter was immune to her own attack's power, but striking the antenna, it also struck Bra, who was holding Jupiter. She hoped it would stun the seven-year-old long enough to stop her. Bra looked around, completely unaffected. 

"You're gonna have to do better than that," Darien laughed. 

"You… don't scare… me," Jupiter managed. 

"Is that so?" Darien asked, his tone indifferent. He let Jupiter hang in the air for a moment. "Okay, kiddo. Let her go. We've got bigger fish to fry." Bra obediently let Sailor Jupiter go. The beaten Scout dropped to the ground. "You've got guts, Jupiter. But it takes more than guts to beat the Negaverse." 

Jupiter forced herself to stand. "Traitor," she hissed. 


	3. Healing Light

_My note: that's not what I meant. If there's any _valid_ criticism, I'll of course keep it in mind, but when people tell me that the plot doesn't make any sense, or that I should pair up one character with another, I ignore it. Being my story and all, I know how it's going to go, and it'll all make sense eventually._

**Rip Van Who?**   
_3. Healing Light_

"Oh, it's freezing, Luna," Serena complained to her small, talking, black cat, as the two of them ran along a street, looking for Sailor Jupiter. They weren't having much luck, and with the cold winter weather, both were more than a little irritable. In Serena's case, that meant she would whine. 

"Stop the high whine, would you, Serena? We've got to find Sailor Jupiter now!" In Luna's case, it meant she would snap angrily at her young charge. Serena was about to say something else, when Sailor Jupiter stumbled out of a nearby alley. 

"Sailor Jupiter!" Serena said, skidding to a halt. She rushed over to her friend. "Oh god! What happened to you? Did Darien do this to you?" She asked, concerned. 

"I'm okay," Sailor Jupiter gasped, clutching her side with both hands. "I'll be fine. We have to find Greg and Sailor Mercury." Serena had never seen her friend in such a bad way before. Bruise marks were forming around Sailor Jupiter's throat. Her breathing was shallow, laboured, as if trying to avoid the pain of breathing too deeply. And was that blood she saw, trickling down the back of Jupiter's head, on her gloves and uniform? 

"You're hurt," Serena said. 

"We don't have time for this," Sailor Jupiter said. 

Serena wouldn't hear of it. She gently pried Sailor Jupiter's hands away from her sides. Jupiter couldn't help but let out a yelp, as her wound was once again exposed to the cold air. One of her ribs had splintered, pushing its way through the skin. It must have taken her so much effort simply not to cry out in pain. 

"You've got a compound fracture," Luna observed with a serious tone. "You're lucky that your lungs weren't punctured." 

"It's not as bad as it looks," Sailor Jupiter said. 

"Yes, it is," said Serena firmly. "We've got to get you to a hospital. You're in no condition to fight." Even Serena was surprised with her own tone; it left no room for argument. She really meant it though. Her friends were important to her, especially in these dark times, and Sailor Jupiter would only get herself killed if she fought in her current condition. 

"There may be another way," Luna said. "Serena, try using the crystal." 

"I… guess it's worth a try," said Serena uncertainly. She reached into her coat pocket and produced the Crescent Moon wand, with the Silver Crystal embedded firmly at the end of the wand. She held the wand out towards Sailor Jupiter, aiming it at her wounds and concentrating. Sailor Jupiter was bathed in healing light for a moment, before it receded. "Are you… feeling any better?" Serena asked, laughing nervously. 

Sailor Jupiter gingerly touched the place where she had suffered her compound fracture. Much to her own surprise, she felt a lot better. She stretched a little, just to make sure. "Yeah, I feel great. Way better! Come on, let's go!" Sailor Jupiter was about to rush off when Serena caught her by the arm. 

"What happened, Jupiter?" Serena asked seriously. "_Did_ Darien do this to you?" 

Sailor Jupiter shook her head. "No. Remember that kid Amy told us about at the meeting?" She asked. Serena looked a little guilty, laughing nervously. 

Luna sighed, dismayed yet again. "Honestly. Do you ever listed?" She asked, exasperated. 

"Hey!" Serena protested. "I'm going through a really tough time here, Luna! I think I deserve a little slack." 

"It was her," said Sailor Jupiter. "All she had to do was point her hand at me and I was thrown back. It was like I was hit by a wall of force." Jupiter shook her head, still trying to figure things out herself. She rubbed her neck self-consciously. "She was so strong…" 

"What about Amy and Greg?" Serena asked. 

"They got away, but Greg sure was right. Prince Darien's hot on his trail," said Sailor Jupiter. She gave Serena an urgent look. "We gotta find Amy and Greg before he does!" 

"Right!" Serena agreed. 

"Where'd they go?" Luna asked. 

Sailor Jupiter shrugged, shaking her head. "Don't know. Someplace safe, probably," she said. "We better just keep an eye out for bad guys." She started running down the street in the direction she'd last seen Mercury heading. Jupiter only hoped that they arrived on time… 

*** 

Sailor Mercury looked around uncertainly. She didn't like her current situation. It was dark and cold, and instead of staying in a well-lit well-travelled place, Greg had convinced them to hide in an amusement park, after hours so the place was deserted. 

"Greg, I don't like it here," Sailor Mercury said. "It's too deserted." 

Greg turned away, walked over towards a large ferris wheel. He looked up at it. The large metal frame was dark, but when the park was open, it was lit by thousands of tiny light bulbs. "Yeah, but I've always wanted to come here with you… on a date…" Greg responded quietly. 

"You have?" Sailor Mercury asked. "Really?" 

Greg nodded quietly. "But I was too scared that you'd turn me down, Amy, and… I was afraid it would ruin our friendship," he said. He smiled sadly, a knowing smile. 

"This is so weird, Greg, 'cause I've felt the same way for ages," Sailor Mercury said, giving him a relieved smile. It didn't seem to help lift his mood at all. If anything, the smile actually made him feel worse. 

"We've got really lousy timing, Amy," Greg said, shaking his head. "You've got to go. I've put you in too much danger already." He paused a moment, but stopped Sailor Mercury just before she was about to respond. "That little girl I told you about… the one in my vision? She's going to kill you, unless you get out of here. So please, just run. Run!" 

"I can't just run away," said Sailor Mercury seriously. "I'd miss you way too much, more than I do now." She smiled comfortingly at Greg. "Whatever comes our way, we'll face it together. We've got to fight, Greg." 

"Yoo-hoo." The lights on the ferris wheel started lighting up. Sounds of the amusement park coming to life filled the air. "That's good, Mercury, 'cause a fight's exactly what you're gonna get." The two of them looked up to see Prince Darien's shadowy form standing at the hub of the wheel, watching them, a smirk on his pale face. Bra hovered lifelessly nearby. 

"That's Prince Darien!" Sailor Mercury gasped. "How did he find us in here?" 

"The kid's a regular bloodhound," Darien laughed, nodding over at the enslaved azure-haired girl. "She can sense your energy from all the way across the planet." Darien leapt from the wheel, landing close to Greg and Sailor Mercury, too close for comfort. 

"You traitor! I can't believe you let the Negaverse turn you against us! You're the enemy!" Sailor Mercury dropped down into a defensive stance. 

"So glad we got that straight, Mercury," said Darien, smirking again. "Now, please, back off. I really have no desire to hurt you, okay? It's your boyfriend I'm after, not you." He took a step forward, and Greg and Sailor Mercury took a couple of steps forward. Sailor Mercury glanced around, trying to find a way out. She found none. 

"Never! I'll never give in to you!" Sailor Mercury affirmed. "Mercury Bubbles Blast!" She went through the motions, and fired her attack. Her magical bubbles filled the area with a dense fog, making it impossible to see more than a foot ahead. 

"You really think you can stop me with those silly bubbles?" Darien asked. "Ha!" Suddenly he was in front of Mercury, looking right at her, a demonic smirk on his face. The girl gasped, taking an involuntary step back. "Bra, keep her out of my hair, but leave her alive. I want her to see her boyfriend's capture." 

The enslaved little girl appeared in front of Mercury. Sailor Mercury stumbled back with a surprised gasp. That kind of speed shouldn't have been possible! To Sailor Mercury's eyes, Bra just vanished from one point and reappeared instantly in another. 

Bra reached out and took hold of Sailor Mercury by the throat, as if to strangle her. She felt her feet lift off the ground, as Bra floated higher up. Sailor Mercury tried to fight the iron grip, but failed. Her focus no longer on the attack, Sailor Mercury's fog dissipated. 

Just in time for her to see Prince Darien thrust out the dark crystal. "Greg!" She managed. "No!" She watched as Greg was pulled into the captivity of the dark crystal. 

Darien nodded towards Bra. The little girl tossed Sailor Mercury aside effortlessly. She landed painfully on the ground, rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop. "How's it feel to be helpless, Mercury?" Darien asked with a smug look on his face. 

"Let him go, Darien!" Mercury demanded, forcing herself to her feet. There was a long abrasion in her left leg, bleeding profusely. "You wouldn't even be half this confident without your helpless puppet." She glanced at Bra, half expecting an angry reaction from the little girl. Bra just blinked, her eyes remaining cold and lifeless. 

"Is that so?" Prince Darien asked. "I was going to let you live, but if you really wanna go for it, that's fine with me, Mercury. You'll lose, of course." Sailor Mercury said nothing, but looked defiant. 

Darien took it as a challenge. He reached into his cloak and pulled a black rose free. He transformed into the form that the Sailor Scouts were more familiar with. Wearing a black tuxedo, a top hat, and a cloak, along with a ridiculous mask that did nothing to hide his identity, he was now Tuxedo Mask. "Hey. I though you'd be glad to see your old friend, Tuxedo Mask, again. It's just you and me, Mercury. I'll leave the kid out of this." 

"Who are you kidding?" Sailor Mercury asked. "You're not the same Tuxedo Mask that the Sailor Scouts trusted! Mercury Bubbles Blast!" 

Mercury fired her magical bubbles directly at Tuxedo Mask, but he pulled his cane and deflected all the bubbles. "Ha! Same tired old tricks!" He scoffed. Sailor Mercury rushed at him as he was deflecting the bubbles. She tried to body slam him, putting all of her speed behind the attack. He saw it coming, rolled, and threw Sailor Mercury out of the way. Tuxedo Mask flipped to his feet. 

"It's dangerous to underestimate your enemy," Sailor Mercury gasped, pulling herself to her feet. Then she showed him the dark crystal, now in her possession. She'd managed to pull it from his pocket when he had thrown her. "Beryl's a lousy teacher. Now I'm going to set these people free!" 

Sailor Mercury threw the crystal to the ground and it shattered. The captured Rainbow Crystal Carriers were free. Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter chose this moment to appear. 

"You're through, Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Mercury said. "They're free!" 

"I'll just have to capture them again," said Tuxedo Mask. "But first, I'm getting rid of you Scouts." Darien nodded over at Bra. "Go to it. Kill them all!" 

Bra blinked, but nodded slowly. Before she could move, both Mercury and Jupiter hit her with their attacks. The explosion was brilliant, and powerful. It distracted Bra momentarily, but did little else. 

"Sailor Moon! Use your wand!" Luna yelled. 

"I'm on it, Luna!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. She pulled out her wand and pushed her energy into the Silver Crystal. "Moon healing…" 

Bra shook her head, dispelling the flashing lights dancing in front of her eyes. She blurred out of sight, reappearing in front of Sailor Moon. She reached her fist back, ready to push it through Sailor Moon's chest. 

"Activation!" The healing light of hit Bra. The little girl screamed in pain, clasping her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. She stumbled back. 

"S-stop it!" Bra screamed. "Stop making me see things!" She shook her head, desperately trying to dispel the images that the depths of her own mind were conjuring up, with the help of the light from Sailor Moon's wand. Sailor Moon started to falter, the energy drain much stronger than she thought it would be. Bra was resisting, or something inside of her was resisting. 

"It's working, Sailor Moon!" Luna said, encouragingly. "Don't give up. Just a bit more!" After a tense couple of moments, the little girl collapsed. A foul-looking black smoke escaped from her body, briefly forming a demonic face, before dissipating completely. 

"This isn't over, Sailor Scouts!" Tuxedo Mask threatened, before vanishing through a dark portal that had formed behind him. 

"Oh, Kami," Bra gasped, tears streaming readily down her cheeks. The little girl shook gently, and Sailor Mercury felt compelled to go and comfort her. "Mama… Papa…" Bra whispered to herself. 

"You're going to be alright," said Sailor Mercury, rubbing the girl's back. 

Bra looked up at Sailor Mercury, a slight frown on her face. "What happened? Where am I?" She looked around, stunned, a lost little girl. She shook her head, confused, squeezing her eyes shut. "I-I can't remember anything!" 


	4. Waking up

_My note: no actual action in this bit. Just trying to flesh out the plot a little more. If anyone didn't already know, this will very quickly turn into an AU._

**Rip Van Who?**   
_4. Waking up_

The other girls all looked up as Amy re-entered the room. Bra was asleep in the next room – she passed out shortly after the battle – so they had to keep their voices down. The little girl seemed a little off-balance, understandable considering what she had been put through. She was staying at Amy's place, mainly because, if anyone asked, they could pass her off as Amy's kid sister, until they found out where Bra really belonged. 

"How's she holding up?" Serena asked, first to voice her concerns. 

"She's asleep," Amy reported. She shook her head, disturbed by this turn of events. "She talks in her sleep. She kept calling out to her parents. I didn't know what to do." Amy closed her eyes, still trying to figure things out. She took a seat next to Greg. He flashed her a warm, comforting, smile. 

"With all that power, I guess it's hard remembering she's just a lost little kid," said Lita, rubbing her neck self-consciously. She perked up. "Hey, do you think she knows where Beryl's base is?" 

"Doubt it," said Artemis "Looks like whatever was controlling her was running the show. It probably gave her the powers she had too." The white cat shook his head. 

"I'm not sure," Greg started. "But I don't think she was the girl in my vision. I mean, she was in it, but I'm not sure if she was the dangerous one." He shook his head, smiling apologetically. He rapped gently on his head. "It's all a little hazy up here, but I'll never forget that aura." 

"What are you talking about, Greg?" Lita asked. 

"In my vision, there was this golden aura. It was…" Greg shook his head. "I can't really describe it. It's like it was fuelled by rage and pain and suffering. I'm not sure, but I think I saw another girl. She had spiky blonde hair and green eyes. Not at all like Bra." 

"Could the Negaverse have another soldier like Bra waiting in the wings?" Rei wondered. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, each of the room's occupants contemplating a possible confrontation with another fighter like Bra. They all reached the same conclusion, and it was evident by the looks on their faces. "I think we're in trouble, you guys." 

*** 

Bra yawned, sitting up. She had been asleep in the shade of an old-looking oak tree. Strange, she couldn't really remember falling asleep under the tree. Not two feet away, Bra could make out Pan's small frame curled up comfortably. Obviously, the girl was still asleep. 

Bra stood up, and moved out from underneath the oak. It was a nice spring day, if she was any judge. The sky was a perfect blue, not a cloud in sight, just like she remembered it. The grass appeared almost impossibly green. Birds were happily singing. It was how she imagined the Kai's sacred world must have looked before her papa and Pan's grandpa fought Majin Buu there. 

Bra stretched a little to work the kinks out of her muscles. There was something about this situation – this place – that seemed different, wrong, to the girl. "Pan, come on. Wake up already," Bra said, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She nudged her friend with her foot. 

"Just five more minutes, mommy," Pan grumbled. She rolled over and went back to sleep. Bra sighed, exasperated, shaking her friend just a little harder this time. Pan groaned, but sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Alright, I'm awake," she said, yawning. 

Pan looked around, blinking. "Huh?" She asked. 

"Good morning, sunshine," Bra said evenly. Pan flipped easily to her feet, taking a couple of steps out into the open. She looked around, a slight frown on her young face. 

"Where are we?" Pan asked. She closed her eyes, stretched out her senses. Ordinarily, she should have been able to sense powerful energies, like her father's or Bra's father's. She shook her head slightly. 

"I don't know," Bra said. She looked around again. There was something about this place… it just didn't seem right to her. There was something subtle – maybe something she'd always taken for granted – that was missing, and she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was. "This sure doesn't look like home." 

"That's because it isn't." 

The two girls spun around quickly, both of them unconsciously raising their power levels to meet an anticipated threat. There was a woman, beautiful by most standards. She had long wavy red-brown hair and strange eyes, a deep orange. She had pointed ears, and looked every bit the alien. The girls even thought they noticed the woman had fangs, but when they looked again, her teeth looked normal enough. She was dressed in a long flowing gown of deep purple material. She was no threat, with a power level that even Turtle could beat. 

"My name is Queen Beryl, the rightful ruler of this planet. It would be my pleasure to help you find your way back home." The woman smiled, and gestured for the two girls to follow her. Not knowing any better, Bra and Pan followed. After all, someone with a power level that low couldn't possibly hurt them, so where was the danger…? Then why did she feel this terrible sense of foreboding…? 

*** 

Bra's eyes snapped open, and she sat up, breathing heavily. "It was all a dream," the little girl muttered, sounding unconvinced of her own words. Even if it had happened in a dream, it felt much too much like a memory for her liking. 

The girl tried to relax a little, noticing that she was breathing quickly. Bra looked around at the unfamiliar room. It was decorated in pale blue, sparsely furnished, with a dresser, a couple of chairs, and a comfortable bed, which she now occupied. 

"Where am I?" She wondered. She felt distress welling up inside her. This wasn't her room. These weren't her things. This wasn't home! She suddenly felt so homesick, so alone. She wanted to go home, to see her family again, even her annoying brother, Trunks. 

Bra felt her own power soar, unconsciously raised by her sense of alarm. She tried to calm herself down, to force her power level down. As low as she could push it, she was still fully capable of destroying a small moon. Even Master Roshi had done that once, though she imagined that it had been more of an effort for the elderly martial artist than it would be for her. She couldn't let her power hurt innocent people. 

Bra pulled the powder blue sheets out of the way, and slipped her feet from the bed. Someone had dressed her in a pair of pyjamas that were obviously too big for her. They hung loosely from her body, emphasising how small she really was. She had to hike up the pants to walk properly. 

The little girl slipped silently out of the room and into the hall. She had no idea where she was, but whoever owned the place was relatively well off and it was readily apparent in the manner in which the place was decorated. Old-looking pictures and antique-looking things were placed strategically along the hall. The walls were painted a nice off-white. 

Voices were clearly audible down the hall. Bra crept silently in their direction. There were five girls seated in a comfortable-looking living room. The room was furnished with a couple of over-stuffed chairs, and a matching blue couch. The walls were painted the same off-white as the hall. There was a large sliding door set in one of the walls, leading to a balcony. 

The girls were talking about something, but Bra couldn't quite make out what. She crept a little closer. 

"But the wand took care of what was controlling her." The speaker had blue eyes and blonde hair, worn in the most bizarre style Bra had ever encountered. The style resembled pigtails. She was dressed in some kind of uniform: a knee-length pleated dark blue skirt and a white top with a sailor-like collar the same colour as her skirt. "Can't we use it to take care of any more of them, if they show up?" 

"We were extremely lucky, Serena," said another girl. The speaker had short blue hair and blue eyes. She spoke with an intelligent tone of voice, her words were carefully enunciated. She was dressed in the same uniform as the first girl. "If our attacks hadn't startled her, then she would have killed you and the Crystal would now be in Queen Beryl's hands." 

Bra gasped involuntarily. So Beryl was real, not just a horrible nightmare! 

Suddenly, all eyes were on her. "Hey there," said a third girl. She had brown hair, worn in a high ponytail, and warm green eyes. The girl wore rose-shaped earrings. Her uniform, while similar to the other two girls', was light brown where theirs were dark blue. "How are you feeling?" 

"A little confused," Bra admitted, not dropping her guard. 

"My name's Serena," said the girl with the bizarre hairstyle. She smiled warmly at Bra, trying to make her feel welcome. "These are my friends. Introduce yourselves, girls." 

"I'm Mina," said the other blonde. Her hair was unrealistically long, some of it held back by a crimson bow. She had warm blue eyes, and gave Bra the impression that she was slightly clueless. She was dressed in the same uniform that Serena and her blue-haired friend wore. 

"Rei," said another girl, smiling. She had long dark hair, about as long as Mina's, and violet eyes. The girl was dressed differently from the other girls, but her outfit still came across as a uniform. She wore a knee-length grey pleated skirt, a slightly lighter grey vest with sailor-like collar, and a white shirt underneath. 

"My name is Amy," said the girl with the blue hair. 

"And I'm Lita," said the girl with the brown hair, the one who had asked her how she felt. 

"Pleased to meet you," Bra mumbled, more a formality than an actual feeling. Who were these girls? Why did they feel so strange? 

Bra had never really trained, relying more on the strength and cunning that she inherited from her father than on practice and training, but she did have the ability to sense energy signatures. These girls all felt so strange. The feeling really was indescribable. 

Strange energies or not, they wouldn't stand a chance against Bra, if she decided that they were a threat. 

"So, do you remember anything, kiddo?" Mina asked. 

"Mina!" Lita said. "She just woke up!" 

"The last thing I remember was training with my friend, Pan," Bra said, her eyes distant. "We overdid it a little, so we took a nap." She looked around the room, checking for any reaction. "Where am I?" She asked. 

"You're at Amy's place," Mina said. 

"I mean, what planet is this? I'm from Earth. Is that far away from here?" 

"Uh, this is Earth," Serena said, sounding more than a little confused. Bra looked uncertain, bewildered. How could this possibly be Earth? Bra found her eyes moving over to the large window. Everything was different. 

This city was unlike anything Bra had ever seen. The buildings were all constructed along harsh, geometric, lines, made of materials like concrete, steel, and glass. Not at all like the pleasant organic configurations, built of durable polymers, that she was used to. Then there were the cars. Bra couldn't see a single hover-craft. Not a single capsule-car. They seemed to favour crude combustion-powered vehicles here, the kind that were being phased out in favour of something more environmentally friendly back home. 

Bra couldn't sense any of the strong powers she had grown up knowing. She couldn't sense her papa or Pan's grandpa, and they were two of the strongest fighters in the universe. This couldn't be Earth. It just couldn't. 

The little girl shook her head. What reason did Serena have for lying to her? Maybe… no. That didn't make any sense. "This… is Earth?" Bra asked uncertainly. She shook her head again. "This can't be happening. This is all some kinda dream!" 

"No. This is reality," said Serena, clueless. 

Bra felt her power level climbing again. She took a deep breath, and tried to remain calm. Okay, so this was apparently Earth, but it wasn't her Earth. What were the possible explanations? This could be some kind of parallel dimension, an alternate Earth, or she could've been thrown back into the past somehow, to a more primitive time, or forward, to some post-apocalyptic world where they had lost all of the advanced technology of her age. 

"Don't worry, Bra," said Serena reassuringly. "We'll help you find your way back home." 

A thought occurred to her. "How do you know my name?" Bra asked. "I never introduced myself." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Serena laughed nervously. 

"This is going to sound difficult to believe," said a new voice. Bra's eyes shifted, fixing on an average-sized black cat, the speaker. There were talking cats where she was from, but none of them looked like just an average house cat. 

"A talking cat." 

"Her name's Luna," Serena supplied, with a grin. 

"What's going to be difficult for me to believe?" Bra asked. 

"You were possessed by a fighter from the Negaverse, under a powerful spell," said Luna in an even tone of voice. "They must have brought you here to use you against us. While you were under their control, a man named Prince Darien introduced you to us. That's how we know your name." 

Geez, all that just to explain how they knew her name? Bra felt a little annoyed, but the sensation was dwarfed by the anger she felt at being controlled. The feeling was quickly replaced with an overwhelming sense of dread. What if the bad guys had control of Pan? 

"Did he say anything about my friend Pan?" Bra asked. 

"No, he didn't," said Amy. "Now you have to go to bed. It's way too late for a girl your age to be awake." She stood up, and held her hand out to Bra. After just a moment's hesitation, the girl took the offered hand and let Amy lead her back into the bedroom that she'd just left. 

"I have to find Pan," said Bra, even as Amy started tucking the girl in. 

"Don't worry about that now," Amy responded. "You've had a long day, and you need to get some sleep." She smiled at the little girl, before standing up and walking towards the door. "Everything's going to be okay." With that, Amy turned off the lights and closed the door. She walked back into the living room. 

"She's taking this remarkably well," Luna observed. 

"Yeah," said Mina cheerfully. "I don't know what I'd do if I woke up in a completely different world with no memory of how I got there." Each of the girls nodded, agreeing with the girl. 

"I'm worried, you guys," said Amy. "What if the Negaverse comes after her again?" Silence settled over the group. It was almost unbelievable how quickly Amy had taken up the role of big sister. "We should be careful." 


	5. A day at the zoo

_My note: got exams and stuff to write, but I did find the time to write this part up._

**Rip Van Who?**   
_5. A day at the zoo_

"Good morning, girls." Amy's mother, Doctor Anderson, walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee machine. She poured herself a cup, leaning back against the counter, and savoured the bitter aroma of the beverage. Doctor Anderson could best be described as an older version of Amy, though her hair was slightly darker and slightly shorter. She was tall and elegant and dressed in refined-looking clothing. 

Bra was surprised by this greeting, surprised that Amy's mother had so easily welcomed her. "How are my girls this morning?" 

Huh? Bra blearily shook her head. Three days had passed since she first woke up in Amy's apartment. She still wasn't used to the fact that, for some reason, Amy's mother thought that Bra was her daughter too. 

Three days had passed. Amy was trying her best to make Bra feel welcome and comfortable. The guest room had officially become Bra's bedroom, and had accumulated a few personal touches; somehow, and Bra was uncertain exactly how, she had come into possession of the entire line of Sailor Moon beanies, now colourfully arranged along the top of her dresser. Amy was trying her best to act as she thought a big sister should act, but it was evident that she was more comfortable with logic and mathematics, education in general. 

Perhaps that was why Bra was now dressed in navy blue school uniform: a pleated navy blue skirt and a navy blue top with the now familiar sailor-like collar. Amy had registered her for school, thinking it was in Bra's best interests. 

"I keep forgetting you're not a morning person," said Doctor Anderson cheerfully, smiling at Bra. 

Bra half-heartedly played with her cereal. Her thoughts were still on her experience with the Negaverse. She couldn't remember much, and what she could recall, came to her in dreams, nightmares. The only concrete feeling she could hold onto was the feeling of being violated, invaded. It was enough to make her wake up in a cold sweat, scream like the world was coming to an end, quiver and sob like a child. 

She was concerned with Pan. What had happened to her friend? Was she enduring the same kind of treatment? Was she even still alive? Try as hard as she could, she couldn't sense Pan's energy anywhere. She hoped – prayed – that it was because of a lack of training, unwilling to contemplate the other option. Bra started training, trying to overcome her limitation. 

"I have a field trip today," Bra said distantly, aware that she should say something. "My class is going to the zoo, or the planetarium, or something." 

"That sounds like fun," said Amy's mother. 

"Not really. Who wants to look at a bunch of dumb animals in fake habitats?" Bra shrugged indifferently. What could she say? School was a waste of time. Whatever the children her age were learning, it was beneath Bra. She sometimes helped her mama fix the gravity room when papa overdid things. She went to school at the best private school in West City. Learning how to add and subtract and multiply and divide was just not on her list of priorities. 

She wanted to train, to become stronger, so that she could find her friend, and together, they could find a way home. 

"I'm sure there'll be an interesting assignment," said Amy. 

"Something along the lines of 'describe what you like best,'" said Bra, almost laughing. "I guess it's better than going to classes though." She shrugged again, and returned her attention to her cereal. 

*** 

It turned out that the field trip was to the zoo. On the bus on the way, the teachers all explained how it was imperative that the students all stay together while they explored the zoo, so, of course, the first thing that the students did was to disappear into small groups of twos and threes. Bra was left to wander around alone, not really knowing anyone all that well, and too distant most of the time for any of her peers to approach. 

The zoo was a large labyrinthine concrete structure. The walls were a dull grey colour for the most part, except for a few overly colourful signs were painted to draw in children. There were large animal prints painted onto the smooth cement floor; Bra's small feet were tiny inside some of the larger prints. She tried to follow the gait on one of the animals, but stopped when she found herself jumping from one footprint to the next. 

Most of the animals were housed inside for the winter, the harsh cold too much for tropical specimens. Bra somehow found herself staring at the monkeys. 

"The monkey is a social animal," Bra read off a plaque embedded into the wall nearest the exhibit. She watched the monkeys and their young. They certainly did engage in a lot of social play. She wondered about her people, the Saiyans. They were certainly connected to monkeys, being able to transform into giant monkeys under the light of a full moon*, but they didn't seem nearly as social as these monkeys. Not if her papa's behaviour was any indicator. He could be quite scary at times. 

She was so lost in thought that Bra didn't even notice the approach of two powers. "Relatives of yours?" Malachite sneered. Bra spun around, energy instantly gathered in her palm, fully intent on blowing the monster's head off. Her attack dissipated. 

"Pan!" Bra threw her arms around her friend, not giving another look at the man who had offended her pride. "Pan! I'm so glad to see you!" She laughed, hugging her friend fiercely. 

"That's good, Bra," said Pan, though her voice wasn't her own. It was as if something was speaking for her. Bra let go of her friend, a bad feeling in the bottom of her stomach. "We've come to take you back to the Negaverse." 

Bra took an uncertain step back, looking at the two with new eyes. Pan looked like an ordinary six-year-old. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. Her skin was pale, as if she hadn't been exposed to sunlight in a while. The girl's lean frame was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a black tee shirt, and a blue denim jacket. 

Her eyes… Pan's eyes… they weren't her own. They were cold and dead. 

Bra glanced up at Malachite. The man brushed his long platinum blond hair back, a smug look in his ice cold eyes that Bra longed to wipe from his face. He was dressed in what Bra instinctively knew was his uniform, a grey sort of jacket, matching pants, and a white cape trailing behind him. 

"You should listen to your friend," Malachite said, his tone vaguely threatening. "You don't want to hurt yourself." He looked around at the zoo, and the other children scattered around at the exhibits. "Or others." 

"There is more than enough power in this small frame to take you by force," said Pan. "Come quietly. It will go easier for you." 

Bra growled angrily. Who was this thing kidding? Did it really believe that Bra wouldn't recognise her very best friend? Did it really believe that Bra would buy anything it said? It was an offence to her pride that this thing even try such an underhanded trick. 

The ground started to tremble. Gently at first, then more and more violently as Bra pulled on more of her energy reserves. Malachite looked around, saw the other children, the teachers, the zoo staff, evacuating. He saw the cracks form in the concrete. The display windows, usually unbreakable fibreglass, shattered under the strain. Bra started to scream, the effort of powering up becoming evident. The wind picked up debris, hurtling it all around. It was all Malachite could do to remain standing in that one spot. He had no idea that the brat was capable of such power! 

Abruptly, Bra stopped. "I'm not going to let you use Pan like a puppet. I'll destroy you before I let you hurt people using her. I know she'd do the same for me!" Suddenly, Bra shot forward, slamming a devastating blow across Pan's jaw. The little girl's body was thrown through a concrete wall. The fight had just started, the outcome uncertain… 

*** 

The evacuation had gone surprisingly well, given that the students were all small children. The teachers had managed to account for every student, except for one. They were busy doing another headcount to identify the missing student, when the Sailor Scouts arrived. 

"What's going on?" Sailor Jupiter demanded, in an authoritative voice. 

"The Sailor Scouts!" One of the teachers exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're here! One of the students is still inside somewhere. We can't find her anywhere!" The teacher turned and pointed at the zoo. 

The building had seen better days. A good portion of it had collapsed, and a great number of the exotic animals once housed inside had escaped into the freedom of the parking lot and beyond. Even as they watched, another part of the building collapsed. It was clear that something of titanic proportions was going on inside. 

"I'll scan for life signs," Sailor Mercury said dispassionately. She reached for her small pocket computer. The visor abruptly appeared over her eyes. She typed something into the little keyboard. Sailor Mercury gasped. 

"What is it, Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked. 

"Malachite's in there," Sailor Mercury reported. "And he's not alone! Whatever is going on in there, he's behind it!" She showed them the readings on her little computer. 

"Hey, isn't that…" Sailor Venus started. 

"Yes," said Sailor Mercury, nodding. "Only it's much more powerful, like she's somehow found a way to boost it." 

"We have to stop that Negacreep before he really hurts someone!" Sailor Moon said bravely. The girls nodded their agreement, and as one they turned and ran into the heavily damaged zoo. 

*** 

Another thunderous explosion rocked the zoo. Roiling black smoke filled the building, leaking out from various holes that the structure had sustained. Bra descended from the smoke to hover over one of the exhibits, her opponent doing the same thing. 

Both girls looked like they had taken a beating, bruised and bleeding from several small cuts all over, their clothing torn in various places, but Bra definitely appeared to have the advantage. She was a smart fighter after all, and whatever was controlling Pan didn't seem to know how to use the full range of her powers. What it did know how to use was slow and hindered, not smooth and polished, as though it was second nature, the way the real Pan would have moved. 

"You're not on your game, whoever you are," Bra said. "Pan would've blocked half those shots! Just give her back, and I promise I won't destroy you!" As if to demonstrate that this was possible, Bra held out her hands, gathering her brilliant white-blue energy between her palms for the finishing blow, an attack that would knock Pan out and out of the fight, and hopefully destroy the creep controlling her. 

The Sailor Scouts chose this moment to arrive. "Hey!" Sailor Moon said. "That's Bra!" They watched as Bra raised her hands over her head, bringing with her a sphere of energy twice the size of the small girl. "Uh, I think it's safe to say that it wasn't the thing controlling her that gave her those powers," said Sailor Moon, sounding like she was just about ready to turn tail. 

"Let's end this!" Bra yelled, new confidence evident in her voice. Bra was about to throw her attack at the wavering Pan, but Sailor Moon ran forward. 

"No! You can't do that!" Bra's attention flickered over to the Sailor Scouts, and in her moment of distraction, Malachite transported himself and his beaten warrior away from the scene. 

"Darn it! They got away!" Bra yelled in frustration. She reabsorbed her energy attack, before turning to lecture Sailor Moon. Or she would have, but someone else caught her attention. "Amy, what are you doing here?" Bra asked, a confused frown crossing her young features. She was clearly looking at Sailor Mercury. 

"She can see through our disguises!" Sailor Mars gasped. 

"What disguises?" Bra asked, confused. "All you did was change your clothes, Rei." Bra allowed herself to descend to ground level, looking around at the devastation her fight with Pan had caused. "Oops. Guess we kinda overdid it again." Bra laughed nervously. 

"Bra, we're going to have to discuss this," said Sailor Mercury. 

Bra rolled her eyes. "By discuss, you mean lecture. Mama uses that word with Trunks all the time," said Bra. "And it means I'll get no say whatsoever in whatever you decide either. Just like the school thing." She kicked an imaginary pebble. "Thanks, but no thanks." 

"We need to talk about this," Mars put in, supporting her fellow Scout. 

"What's to talk about?" Bra asked, annoyed. "My best friend's being controlled by the bad guys! I had to try and snap her out of it, even if it meant fighting her." She glanced around at the Sailor Scouts. "I doubt there's anything you guys could have done." 

"Bra, we're your friends," Sailor Mercury tried. Bra didn't respond. 

Sailor Moon stepped forward and knelt down in front of the little girl, locking eyes with her. "Listen, kiddo," Sailor Moon started. "I know how hard this must be for you. What you're going through, well, nobody should have to go through something like this, least of all an innocent kid like yourself, but you have to trust in us as your friends." 

"You know what I'm going through?" Bra asked. She tried to make her question sound indignant, but there was something so pure and sincere about Sailor Moon, that her question came out sounding more bewildered than anything. "How could you…?" 

"That man that controlled you? His name is Darien. He and I were once… so I know how badly you want your friend back." Tears started to well up in Sailor Moon's eyes. She shook her head, regaining her resolved look. "That's not important right now, though. What is important is that you know we're your friends. You can count on us." 

Bra nodded, mutely. There was just something about Sailor Moon. Oh sure, she was weak, but her sincerity and her purity gave her a strength that you saw maybe only once in a lifetime. She felt Sailor Mercury nearby, slipped her hand into her "older sister's." 

* * *

  
_*Believe it or not, having a tail is one of the defining characteristics of being a monkey, as far as I can remember. No apes have tails, hence a Saiyan transforms into a giant monkey. If Earth-bound scientific classification can really be applied to species foreign to this solar system, that is._


	6. Rising action

_My note: got bored. What can I say?_

**Rip Van Who?**   
_6. Rising Action_

Bra shot forward and hit the monster, hit it hard, sending it tumbling end on end into a building. The wall cracked with the impact. "Y…you brat!" The monster gasped, trying to stand up. 

"Don't complain because you're outta your league," Bra said, letting her feet drift off the ground once more. "It's disgraceful." The young half-saiyan was really only toying with the monster, the brief episode of violence just a way to vent her frustration. A whole week had passed, with no sign of her best friend. Bra was so sure she'd been on the verge of beating whatever was controlling Pan. If only she hadn't been distracted… 

Bra disappeared completely, reappearing near the monster. She lashed out with her foot, breaking whatever passed for bones and sending the monster hurtling into the air. 

Bra pointed her finger at the monster. "Bang! You're dead!" She fired an energy blast, a deceptively small sphere of brilliant blue-white light. It exploded on impact, leaving nothing behind. No evidence that there ever was a monster. 

Except, maybe, for the battle-scarred surroundings. Windows had shattered under the force of her blows, and there were great gaping holes in walls where she had simply thrown the monster through the concrete, brick, and mortar. The street was nothing but a crater, from when Bra had powered up all the way. Cars were thrown, some still burning. 

She was actually quite surprised at how long the monster had lasted. Mostly it was because Bra was going for the hurt, and not the kill, but even still she'd be hard-pressed to find a human that would've remained conscious after even one of her blows. Well, that wasn't true. Krillen or Yamcha would have, but it would still have hurt them. 

Bra tried to let go of her pain. Amy and Serena were there for her, but the half-saiyan felt what little comfort they could offer slipping away from her as time passed. 

"Bra, did you do all this?" 

The young half-saiyan turned, startled. She hadn't felt anyone approach, though her mind had been distracted. Amy knelt down to look her little sister in the eye. Bra nodded, a little hesitant. "I know you're hurting inside, but you have to behave more responsibly with your powers." 

"I know," Bra said. 

"We'll get her back, kiddo," Serena promised for what to Bra seemed like the thousandth time. "You just have to believe, and keep hope alive." 

Despair gave way to anger. "I'm tired of just believing and hoping. It's not working and I want my friend back!" 

The ground splintered beneath her feet, as her anger drove her deeper into her source of power. Her feet left the ground. Bra hung in the air for a moment, before disappearing from view entirely. A sonic boom hit the area, the compressed movement of air almost throwing Amy to the ground. 

"She just needs time to cool off, Amy," Lita said, putting a reassuring hand on Amy's shoulder. 

"I know," Amy said, shaking her head. "I'm just worried about her." 

"She'll be okay," Serena reassured her friend. "Bra's a tough kid." 

"That's what I'm worried about," Amy said. Lita and Serena shot their friend a questioning look. "I've run a few scans, in case we ever have to go against her again, and the results aren't good." 

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, her voice concerned. 

"Bra's powers seem to come from her life energy," Amy explained, sitting down on the nearby pavement. She looked pained, and her two friends were once again reminded of how close she and the young enigma had become, almost as if they really were sisters. They could understand it, of course. Life energy was something to be treasured, protected, not used as a weapon. That Bra used it to such devastating effect seemed antithetical to its purpose. 

"Her energy… it's not like ours," Amy continued. "It's not limited in the same way, at least, not as far as I can tell." She shook her head. How could she explain the sheer magnitude of their problem? She couldn't even begin to quantify the hidden power sleeping within her younger sister. 

"What are you saying, Amy?" Serena pressed. 

"She has enough energy to obliterate this planet, this solar system, maybe even this galaxy," Amy said, shaking her head again. "If we had to fight her, we wouldn't stand a chance." 

"We could train," Lita suggested. "Get stronger." 

"I'm afraid that wouldn't do any good," Amy said gloomily. "We could train from now until the day we died, and we'd still never get any closer to her level. Bra's just… she's just powerful on an entirely different scale from the kind of enemies we're used to dealing with." 

"We have to believe in her," Serena said firmly, ever the optimist. "Bra's a good kid, Amy. She'd never do anything on purpose to endanger the world. She's just hurting right now. We have to be there for her." 

"I know," Amy said. 

"You just have to believe, Amy. It'll all work out in the end," Serena said confidently. "Now come on, we have to get home. Luna said Central was close to finding Beryl's base, so you can bet we'll have a showdown soon enough." The other two nodded, Amy casting one last look at her damaged surroundings. 

*** 

Her surroundings were barren, dead, though there was evidence of a once great civilisation present. There were broken pillars, shattered remnants of what had to have been a marvellous palace scattered across the desolate wasteland. Bra could see the Earth, her home, shining brilliantly above her, a blue crescent. 

"Where am I?" Bra wondered aloud. 

"This is the moon." 

Bra whirled around, energy gathered in her hand, ready to blast whoever was standing behind her. There was something substantially different about the woman standing there. She stood regally, carrying herself with dignity and grace. The woman had warm, loving, blue eyes, and long silver hair, worn in the same distinct style as Serena's. She was dressed simply, in a long white gown. 

"Who are you?" Bra demanded. 

"My name is Serenity," said the woman, smiling warmly at Bra. "This was once my kingdom." 

"On the moon," Bra finished flatly. "The moon's not capable of sustaining life. It doesn't have enough gravity to even hold an atmosphere. Who are you really?" 

"I am telling you the truth. I am Queen Serenity, of the Silver Moon Kingdom," said the woman. She took a step towards Bra, and Bra quickly took a step back, the energy still boiling in her hand growing just a little more brilliant. 

"Yeah? Well I've been tricked by people who claim to be royalty before, so you'll forgive me if I don't jump to believe you," said Bra. "You know who I am?" 

"Yes," said Serenity, smiling warmly. "You are the descendant of Prince Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans." 

"I'm his daughter," Bra amended. 

"Yes," said Serenity, nodding.   
  
Bra released her energy, reabsorbing it into her system, but she never dropped her guard.. "How do you know my papa anyway?" 

"I met him a thousand years ago," said Serenity, a look of understanding on her face. "He left Earth with your mother and brother, shortly before the rise of the Silver Alliance." 

"Papa and mama left Earth?" Bra asked, her voice holding a note of uncertainty for the first time. Maybe this was knowledge that she didn't want to have. Maybe not knowing would make her happier in the long run. Still, she had to ask. "I-is that why I can't sense them?" 

"A thousand years have passed, princess," Serenity said, a note of an apology in her voice. "Though Saiyans are long-lived, even they do not last a thousand years. And your mother was human." 

Bra took a deep shuddering breath. Her mama and papa were dead. Serenity all but said it. She tried to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes. She had to be strong now, she was the Crown Princess of the Saiyans. She'd have time to cry later. 

"Why am I here?" Bra asked, trying to sound regal. 

"I have brought you here to ask you for your help, and to offer you some advice," Serenity said solemnly. "Your friend Pan is still with the Negaverse. She poses a significant danger to the people of Earth." 

"Don't you think I don't know that?" Bra demanded. She punched one of the broken stone pillars in frustration. The stone shattered under the power of the blow. "I've been training so hard, but no matter how hard I train, I can't sense her anywhere!" 

"You must not give up, princess," Serenity said. "The time for your confrontation with Pan will come shortly, and when it does, you have to be prepared to do what needs to be done." 

"W-what are you saying?" Bra stammered. 

"You may have to destroy your friend's body to prevent her from destroying the world," said Queen Serenity. 

"I-I can't do that!" Bra said, jumping to her feet. "Pan's my very best friend! We've been through everything together!" 

Serenity smiled at Bra, a look of understanding on her face. "I understand," the Queen said. "But sometimes our choices aren't easy. If you do not act to stop the creature in control of Pan's body, if you are not willing to do everything in your power to win your battle, then the world is already lost. You already know that the Sailor Scouts cannot hope to stand against Pan. You can feel it." 

A moment of silence passed between the two. "The choice is ultimately yours. I only plead with you to make the right one." Serenity sighed. "Please, when the time comes, remember my words." 


	7. Falling apart

**Rip Van Who?**   
_7. Falling Apart_

Amy knocked quietly on Bra's door. A moment later, she poked her head inside. Bra was sitting on her bed, her eyes distant, scanning the still dark horizon as though searching for her friend. Her pyjamas clung to her small frame, once again reminding Amy of how small this girl was. The sheets were a tangled mess. 

All indications were that Bra had another bad dream. She hadn't been sleeping well, and often Amy had to come in to comfort her. Memories of her captivity were still fresh in Bra's mind, surfacing in her dreams to traumatise the young girl. 

Amy had no idea why, but Bra was more like a little sister to her than even she understood. She felt the need to protect Bra, to keep the little girl safe from harm. 

"May I come in?" Amy asked. 

"Amy!" Bra gasped, surprised. "I didn't hear you." 

Amy slipped into the room, moving to sit next to Bra on the bed. "I heard you cry out. Was it another dream?" Amy asked, putting a comforting arm around Bra's shoulder. 

"My parents are dead," Bra said quietly. "So is my annoying older brother. It's not fair. I lost my parents, and my brother, and I'm going to lose my best friend too." 

"That won't happen," Amy tried to reassure her. "We won't let it happen." 

Bra nodded, though her eyes remained distant. Amy was sure that Bra was only nodding because she felt it was required of her; the young girl didn't really believe Amy. "I feel like everything is being taken away from me. And I'm not strong enough to do anything about it. It's not fair." 

Amy enveloped Bra in a warm hug. It just seemed to be what she needed right then. Bra closed her eyes, and let herself be comforted in the warmth of Amy's embrace. After a long moment, they broke the embrace. "It's not always about strength. You know that the Sailor Scouts are behind you all the way. But, you have to understand, Bra, that sometimes, strength isn't measured by how hard you can hit someone or something. It's measured by simple faith. You have to believe in yourself, in a better future." 

"What if… what if that's not enough?" Bra asked. 

"If you believe in yourself, then almost anything is possible," Amy answered. 

"Almost…?" Bra asked. 

"Well, there have to be exceptions," Amy said, smiling at her younger sister. "I mean, no matter how much you believe in yourself, you can't stop the flow of time, for example." 

They passed into silence. The sun was just struggling to rise over the horizon. The two girls watched as it first began to climb into the sky, painting the clouds in brilliant shades of pink, orange, and red. 

After a long moment, Amy stood up. She had to be at Cherry Hill Temple soon. Today was the day that they were going up against Queen Beryl and the Negaverse, the day of the final showdown. Amy just had to check in with Bra before that happened. "Are you okay now?" 

"I guess," Bra answered, a little non-committal. 

"Are you going to be alright if I go out for a while? Mom won't get back until later and…" Amy's voice trailed off at the even look Bra was giving her. Okay, so she was young, but she could obviously take care of herself. 

"I'm not a little kid, you know," said the little kid. 

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Amy said, smiling and holding her hands up in surrender. "I'll… try to be back later on. Make sure you get to school alright." 

"Yeah. Right. School," Bra murmured darkly. Amy could only smile at this, as she turned and closed the door behind her. She went back to her room and got ready, jumping quickly through the shower, and getting dressed. She grabbed herself a piece of toast on the way, pulling on her thick winter coat for protection. Then she started down the road, towards the Cherry Hill Temple… 

*** 

Pan could feel the thing in her mind growing stronger, taking away more and more of her control, and she was powerless to stop it. Her mind wasn't strong enough to overcome the menace taking over. Why were they doing this to her? 

The chamber was vast and poorly lit, giving off the impression of being subterranean, most of the dim light pooling around a great dark throne, seemingly hewn from the rock. It was impossible to tell how many beings crowded the shadows of the chamber, but the initial impression spoke of hundreds, thousands, none of them truly human. This was the court held by Queen Beryl. 

The monstrous visage of the queen stepped into the light, and by the look on her face, it was clearly evident that she was not having a good day. Her strange orange and yellow eyes were narrowed in anger as she swept through her minions to come before the throne. 

"Fools!" Queen Beryl roared. Before her, Prince Darien and Malachite knelt in supplication, awaiting their orders. "Do you have any idea what this rivalry of yours has cost us?" 

Both of the dark soldiers had the intelligence to remain silent. Queen Beryl would soon tell them, they both knew, and to question her publicly was to invite suffering on a scale neither of the two of them were comfortable with. Instead, they simply followed Queen Beryl's movements as she paced back and forth, obviously angry. 

"You've lost us one of our most powerful weapons! The Sailor Scouts must not be allowed to use Bra against us! It is imperative that we get her back," Queen Beryl said. She settled herself down into her throne. 

"Your majesty, you still have the more powerful one, Pan," Prince Darien pointed out. His eyes flickered over to the six-year-old, standing silently next to the throne. 

The girl's black eyes were as dead as Bra's blue ones had so recently been, but there was a qualitative difference. The spell felt complete, not as flawed as the incantation that held Bra in check. Pan's skin was sickly pale, and her hair was pulled back into two short pigtails. Pan was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a pastel pink shirt decorated with a white rabbit, and a denim jacket. 

"You fail to realise their importance in this," said Beryl, her tone imperious. Prince Darien nodded slightly. The Negaverse had more than enough strength – without using a couple of children – to conquer Earth and the known universe. Malachite nodded slightly, for once agreeing with his rival. 

"Very well, I shall enlighten you," said Beryl. "They're Saiyans, or at least part-Saiyans." Silent murmuring arose from the crowd, some of the court knowing what Saiyans were, while others didn't. Both ways, it caused some muted commotion. 

"Long ago, before the Silver Millennium, Saiyans were the most feared power in the universe," said Beryl. "They swept through, conquering all that stood in their way, destroying for the sheer pleasure of it. Their powers are legendary." She allowed a dark laugh to pass her lips. "Their appearance is a sign. I was destined to revive their darkness and use it to conquer the universe!" 

*** 

"So, we're finally going to meet Beryl," Rei said. They were all here now, ready to fight whatever they came up against. As ready as they'd ever be anyway. 

This early in the morning, the Cherry Hill Temple was deserted. Even Rei's grandpa wasn't up yet. They had a reasonable expectation of privacy to talk about Scout business. 

"Are you guys ready?" Mina asked. 

"Yeah, can't wait," Lita said fiercely. 

"This'll be our toughest fight ever," Amy said, nodding. Her mind wandered back to her little sister. Fighting Bra had been tough too, but Beryl was just on an entirely different level. She was insidious and cruel, and Amy guessed it wouldn't be the same as a normal fight, one side against the other. She guessed that in fighting Beryl, they'd be fighting their own worst fears. That was why it would be so difficult. 

"Psst. Rei, major question," Serena whispered to the Temple maiden. "You didn't forget to kiss Chad goodbye, did you?" Rei growled and was about to launch into an all out offensive on Serena. 

"Well girls, are you ready?" Artemis asked. He'd seen the fight coming and had acted to stop it before it started. "This'll be a rough one…" 

"… But we know you can do it," Luna finished for him. 

"Oh yeah. We've trained enough," Serena dismissed. "Moon Prism Power!" 

"Mercury Power!" 

"Mars Power!" 

"Jupiter Power!" 

"Venus Power!" 

The area was flooded with brilliant light, as each of the girls transformed in turn, until they were gone, replaced by Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus respectively. There was a qualitative difference in the way these girls carried themselves, as opposed to their civilian counterparts. 

They joined hands, closing their eyes. Each of the girls began to concentrate on her own inner power, bringing it out. "Scout Power," they murmured. 

"Do you think they're really ready?" Luna asked Artemis. The cat sounded uncertain. "Can they really handle this?" 

"Amy? Mina? Lita? Rei? No problem," said Artemis. "Serena? That's another story." 

"But they're going against Beryl, Queen of the Negaverse! Serena has to be ready!" Luna said. 

Artemis sighed. "Well, if worse comes to worst, maybe she'll have a klutz attack and trip Queen Beryl." The cat shook his head. This was no time for jokes. Their girls were going up against the absolute ruler of the Negaverse. "Believe in yourselves! You can do this, Sailor Scouts!" 

"Scout Power!" The girls said, more clearly this time. Brilliant light filled the area for the second time, this time when the Sailor Scouts called on their power. The ground beneath them cracked, and moments later they were gone. 

There was an explosion, the sound of a sonic boom. Artemis and Luna looked up. "What are you doing here?" Luna gasped. 

There, surrounded by a flickering blue-white flame, hung Amy's seven-year-old sister. "I felt them all transform. What's going on? Where's Amy gone?" 

*** 

"So, the Sailor Scouts want to pay us a visit," Queen Beryl said. There was a quiet murmuring among the members of her court at the mention of this. The Sailor Scouts were responsible for so many of their losses, most recently the loss of Malachite, one of their most powerful warriors. 

Queen Beryl stood up. "So who wants to greet our guests and earn a place in Nega-history? Any volunteers?" Her voice held the hint of a threat. 

Five volunteers stepped forward. They would have looked like sprites or fairies, except for the cruel and contemptuous looks on their faces. As it was, they looked vicious. "We'll greet 'em, Queen Beryl." 

"The doom and gloom girls," Queen Beryl said, recognising them. "Perfect." 

The five volunteers disappeared to go about their task. Beryl turned away from her court. Her attention turned to her young slave. "Make yourself ready, in case your little friend shows up." 

Pan nodded, turned, and vanished in a blur of motion. "Everything is going according to plan…" 

*** 

Sailor Moon shivered. "Can't we hire a dogsled or something?" She asked, her teeth chattering. The other Sailor Scouts didn't say anything, but Sailor Moon knew that they were each feeling the cold just as much as she was. Well, maybe not Mercury, but she was in her element after all. 

"Hold it!" Mercury said, coming to an abrupt stop. 

"What is it, Mercury?" Sailor Jupiter asked. 

"Some kind of life form. Straight ahead," said Sailor Mercury. She looked up from her pocket computer, and pointed in the direction that she was getting the readings. 

The snow stopped suddenly. Something was going on here, something weird. There was someone up ahead, and he appeared to be chained up, restrained, but what was he doing out here in the middle of nowhere in the first place? 

"There. See it?" Sailor Mercury asked. 

It was Tuxedo Mask! "That's Tuxedo Mask. He's hurt! We gotta get him! Oh!" Sailor Moon gasped, starting towards the chained man. Sailor Mercury stopped her friend. 

"No, Sailor Moon! It's probably a trap!" Mercury pointed out. What was Tuxedo Mask – no, Prince Darien, champion of the Negaverse, what was he doing chained up? Surely he should be at Beryl's side! 

"Don't be so blind, Sailor Moon," Sailor Jupiter put in. 

"Yeah. Like, get it together, Sailor Moon-brain. It's a trap!" Sailor Mars chastised. 

"Butt out, Mars," Sailor Moon snapped. 

"Just wait. I'll check," Mercury said. She activated her virtual visor to help her scan the captive man, if that was really what he was. It was possible, wasn't it? Maybe Beryl was punishing Darien for failing last time, for losing Bra to the Sailor Scouts. 

Sailor Moon gasped, and looked as if she was hearing something none of the others were. "It is him! I've gotta help him now!" She started quickly forward, and Mercury was too preoccupied with scanning the prone man to react quickly enough. 

"No!" Sailor Jupiter screamed, starting after her friend. 

"Come back!" Sailor Mars yelled. 

Sailor Venus managed to tackle Sailor Moon to the ground. The rolled in the snow, Sailor Moon struggling furiously for her freedom. "Let me go!" She cried, desperately trying to push Sailor Venus off her. "I've gotta get him now! Let go! Get off me! Tuxedo, I'm coming!" 

Sailor Mercury gasped. Her scans had finally penetrated the complex armour of illusions that thing generated. "Watch it, you guys!" Mercury warned. "That's not him!" 

Sailor Moon stopped struggling just long enough to give Mercury a puzzled look. "Huh?" 

"It's a trap!" Mercury yelled. 

Suddenly, the Tuxedo Mask impostor looked up, a wicked grin on his face. His eyes glowed briefly red. Something exploded from the man's chest. The Sailor Scouts only just managed to avoid the tentacles. 

"Why don't you ever listen?" Sailor Mars grumbled. 

"It was his voice, though," Sailor Moon muttered, repentant. "I know." 

The Tuxedo Mask persona dropped away like so much insubstantial mist. The thing that had tried to trap them was revealed. She had blue skin and long wavy blonde hair. She was dressed in what looked like a deep blue bathing suit. Her long legs had spiky thorns, and so, to a lesser extent, did her arms. 

She laughed at the Sailor Scouts. "So you think that's funny, sleazemeister? Well go ahead! Laugh it up! I'm tired of putting up with Negatrash, and that means you!" 

Suddenly, the enemy was no longer alone. Four others, dressing and looking similar to her, appeared next to her. The only difference between them was that skin and hair colour varied. 

"Am I seeing things?" Sailor Moon asked. 

"Hey Jupiter, somebody here would like to chat with you," the leader laughed. The five enemies disappeared completely, leaving another man in their wake. This time, the man appeared to be Andrew, a man Jupiter had a huge crush on. His hands were chained over his head. 

"That's Andrew!" Sailor Jupiter gasped. "We gotta save him!" 

She rushed forward, before the other girls could stop her. Suddenly, tentacles burst through the ice, imprisoning Sailor Jupiter in an iron grip. The five enemies rose up, lifting a struggling Sailor Jupiter into the air with them. 

"Jupiter! They've got her trapped!" Sailor Moon gasped. She removed her Tiara, intent on using its magic to stop them from hurting her friend. "Moon Tiara…" 

"Mars fire…" Mars began, focusing her energy on her own attack. 

The enemies moved closer to the captured Sailor Scout. Now if they attacked, they ran the risk of hurting Sailor Jupiter! "Jupiter! We'll get you out of this, so help me!" Mars yelled. 

"Thanks," Jupiter groaned, still struggling against her captivity. "But you guys have gotta find Beryl! Don't worry! I'll trash these Negacreeps!" Jupiter closed her eyes, wincing at the effort of staying conscious. She gathered her energy, readying her own attack. "Jupiter… Thunder… Crash!" 

A powerful bolt of lightning struck the antenna on her tiara, but she didn't redirect her energy anywhere else. Instead, she gathered it all to herself. It would overwhelm her when she was finished, kill her, but the explosion would hopefully kill her enemies as well. 

Sailor Jupiter screamed in pain, as the energy finished building. The explosion was massive, blinding everyone. Jupiter felt her broken body thrown down to the ice below, one of her enemies tumbling after her. The ice shattered, and she was lost in the cold and the dark… 

*** 

Bra felt anger welling up inside of her, fuelling her speed. It had taken far too long to convince those two cats, supposedly the Sailor Scouts' guardians, that she had to know where Amy was. 

It wasn't just that Amy hadn't told her that she was going to face Beryl today that angered Bra, it was that they hadn't wanted her to get involved. For someone so smart, Amy sure made some bone-headed decisions sometimes. 

Maybe this was the result of one of those decisions. Bra hung in the air before a towering bloom of ice. At the top of that bloom, Bra could see Lita suspended. Her limbs were entangled in ice, her breathing shallow. She was badly bruised and suffering from mild burns. Bra could tell by the way Lita was breathing that one of her lungs was punctured, and filling up with blood. Lita didn't have much longer left to live. 

"Lita, what happened?" Bra asked. 

"Negaverse… trap," Jupiter gasped. Her body was wracked by a shuddering cough. Blood dribbled from her mouth down her chin. "Attacked…" 

"Where's Amy?" Bra asked. 

"Don't…" She coughed again. Her energy was growing weaker by the moment. "Don't kn… know…" 

"Is-is there anything I can do?" Bra asked. 

"No…" Jupiter gasped. With one last shuddering cough, Sailor Jupiter closed her eyes. Bra felt the last of Sailor Jupiter's energy slip away from her. She was dead. 

Bra closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on her senses. While she had been speaking to Lita, another of the Sailor Scouts had suffered an attack. This time, the seven-year-old could feel the familiarity of the energy. "Amy!" 

It only took Bra a heartbeat to find her sister, but in that time, there had been an explosion. Amy was trapped in another of the deadly ice-blooms. Bra punched the ice holding Amy captive. It shattered easily under the force of her blow, and the seven-year-old pulled her older sister free. 

Amy looked like she'd been through hell. Her uniform was burnt and tattered, and her body was bruised and beaten. Amy had a bloody nose, and a broken arm. Her little pocket computer, something Bra had taken to be an organiser of some sort, was broken, and her clear blue visor was cracked. 

"Bra…" Amy murmured, seeing her sister through half-open eyes. 

"C'mon. Stay with me, Amy," Bra said, looking around for anything she could use to help her sister. 

"Bra, what are you doing here?" Amy asked, her voice weak. She reached up a shaky hand and stroked her sister's cheek, leaving behind a smudge of her blood. "Please, go home. It's… it's not safe for you here." 

Bra felt Amy's energy slipping away from her, just as Lita's had abandoned her. "I'm not going anywhere," Bra said stubbornly. "You should have told me you were going to fight Beryl. I'd have gone with you." 

"I couldn't…" Amy gasped. 

"I said stay with me!" Bra said, putting her hand on Amy's chest. She forced a little of her energy into Amy's body in an effort to keep her alive. It was no use! The energy just seemed to slip away faster and faster. "C'mon! You… you're my family now, Amy. You can't leave me alone. What… what would mom think?" 

"I'm… sorry," Amy managed. She closed her eyes. Her breathing became shallower, and a moment later, she stopped breathing altogether. 

"No!" Bra screamed. Anger exploded in her. The half-saiyan stood up, every muscle in her body screaming for use. Bra screamed again, letting go of her restraint. The entire planet shook as she gathered her power. The ice beneath her feet splintered, then fell away, pushed down by an invisible force. The effect spread, until there was a crater a mile wide. 

And still she didn't stop gathering her strength. She'd make Beryl pay! She'd make them all pay! None of this was supposed to be happening. She was ripped from a happy life with her parents in the past. She was ripped from her best friend. And now she was ripped from what little comfort her new family gave her. Everything was being taken away from her! Everything! 

"It's not fair!" Bra screamed at whoever was listening. All she had left was her anger and her hate and her loneliness. Bra was going to make sure that the appropriate parties felt her pain tenfold… 

*** 

"No!" Sailor Moon sobbed, falling to her knees. She pounded her hand against the ice in futility. "Mercury's gone too! We shouldn't have come. We're not ready! Luna didn't train us right!" 

"That's not true, Sailor Moon," Mars said, her tone softer than Sailor Moon expected, but still hard enough to convey the determination in her voice. "We can't quit now. We'll keep going, for…" 

Sailor Mars trailed off. The ground shook violently beneath her feet. "Wh-what's going on?" Sailor Venus asked uncertainly. "I-is this another one of the enemy's tricks?" 

Sailor Mars gasped. The ice on which they were standing splintered. In the distance, she could see the ice falling away into a dark chasm that seemed to be opening up. "L-let's move!" 

Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus grabbed Sailor Moon who was still mourning the loss of her two friends, and started to run. They just barely managed to outrun the collapsing ice, finding themselves on more solid ground. The three of them collapsed, obviously out of breath. "What…?" Sailor Moon gasped. "What was that?" 

Sailor Venus noticed that the ground on which Sailor Moon was kneeling started glowing. They were under attack again! "Sailor Moon! Watch out!" Sailor Venus yelled. She leapt over to Sailor Moon, pushing her friend out of the way just in time to get herself trapped by the by now familiar tentacles. 

"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon yelled, as Sailor Venus' body was pushed up into the air. "We'll get you down! We're not letting them get any more of us! I'll use…" 

A powerful energy blast disintegrated the tentacles holding Sailor Venus prisoner. The girl fell to the ground. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars rushed to help her up. Where had that blast come from? 

Amy's kid sister! Where had she come from? Sailor Moon glanced back at the ice that had so recently collapsed beneath their feet. It was back in the direction that Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury lost their lives. Then, when the ice collapsed, that was Bra gathering her power! 

"Move!" She ordered. The three remaining Sailor Scouts wasted no time in running. Bra fired one energy blast after another into the hole. The explosion was huge, probably seen from orbit! It was powerful enough to throw the three Sailor Scouts violently through the air. 

"She's lost it!" Sailor Mars gasped. 

The last of the enemies appeared before them. How she had managed to avoid the massive attack, none of the three knew, but she was intent on finishing what her sisters had started. 

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light. The three Sailor Scouts were thrown to the ground once more. The charred remains of the last of their enemies fell right along with them, little more than dust. 

There, hanging in the air above them, was a little girl, no older than six. She had her dark hair pulled away from her pale face in two short pigtails. Her eyes were cold and dead. The girl was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a pastel pink shirt decorated with a white rabbit, and a denim jacket. "Queen Beryl doesn't like incompetence," said the girl in a voice much too deep for it to have been hers. 

"Sailor Moon?" Sailor Mars asked, pulling herself to her feet. She assumed a battle ready position. 

"What?" Sailor Moon asked, doing the same. Sailor Venus pulled herself to her feet. 

"I think you're supposed to face Beryl on your own," said Sailor Mars. Sailor Venus nodded her agreement. She was already starting to gather her resources for her attack. 

"Are you bailing out on me?" Sailor Moon asked nervously. 

"Of course not," said Sailor Venus. 

"The Negaverse is going to keep throwing enemies at us, Sailor Moon. We'll take care of this Negacreep, but we can't be there when you face Beryl," said Sailor Mars. "And, I don't think we're meant to be there. We'd… we'd just get in the way." 

Sailor Moon looked at Sailor Mars, then at Sailor Venus. She was on the verge of tears again. "You don't have to do this! I don't want you to do this! You don't have to protect me!" 

"Yes, we do," said Sailor Venus firmly. "Protecting you has always been our destiny. It's a part of who we are, but more than that. It's what friends do for each other, Sailor Moon. We'll always be with you in spirit. Go." 

"Kick Beryl's butt," Sailor Mars added. 

They both turned to the little girl hanging in the air above them and Sailor Moon understood. They wouldn't change their minds. This was a fight that they wouldn't back down from, even if it was going to kill them. Sailor Moon turned, and walked away, trying not to cry. 

"Touching as this moment is," Pan said, letting her voice trail off. She flung an energy blast at both girls. The resulting explosion killed them both instantly. "Now I just need to get your little friend." 

"You worry about me." 

Pan whirled around. Bra hung in the air not twenty feet away. "Oh I've got your attention now?" A cruel smirk crossed the young girl's face. "Ready for round two?" She launched herself at Bra… 


	8. End of an Era

**Rip Van Who?**   
_8. End of an Era_

Bra slammed her fist into Pan's jaw with all the force she could put behind the blow. The shock wave was enough to send spidery cracks through the ice a thousand feet below. The young half-saiyan shot forward to press her advantage, only to have Pan return the favour, landing a powerful punch to the chest. 

Bra dodged to the side as Pan came at her once again. Pan overshot her target. Bra twisted in mid air, firing a half dozen powerful energy blasts at Pan. 

Pan turned just in time to take the first explosion in the shoulder. The second and third blasts impacted her in the chest, while the fourth, fifth, and sixth blasts missed completely. Pan reeled back just from the force of those three shots. 

"You got stronger," said the thing controlling Pan. 

"Yeah," said Bra. "And you still haven't learned." 

She moved, little more than a blur of motion. The thing controlling Pan could barely even follow her movements. When Bra stopped, she slammed her fist into Pan's face. Before Pan could even fall back, Bra grabbed a hold of her leg, hurling her into the cold ground. 

"Give up. Give Pan back to me," said Bra. 

"Eat this!" Pan fired a massive energy blast up at Bra. The girl barely had time to throw her arms up to block, and even then, the blast sent her hurtling up higher into the sky, where the air was thin. 

"Okay," Bra managed through clenched teeth. "That hurt! Take it back!" She returned the favour, firing a blast easily powerful enough to vaporise a continent. 

The blast struck Pan full on, not even giving her the chance to block the attack. It drove her into the ground, into the ice, forcing her further and further down into the heart of an ever-expanding crater. 

Bra let up, gave herself to gravity's pull, using the planet's natural gravity to accelerate herself towards the girl who was once her friend. She slammed into Pan with all the strength and power that she could muster. Pan screamed in agony… 

*** 

Alone on an endless field of snow, Sailor Moon was walking towards the volcano, towards her inevitable confrontation with the dark ruler of the Negaverse. 

She understood now. Her friends were dead, killed by servants of the dark queen, but then, they were never meant to face Beryl. It wasn't their destiny to do so. 

"Finally, she's alone. At last. Sailor Moon, we finally meet face to face," Queen Beryl hissed. 

It was a fairly simple application of Beryl's magic that pulled Sailor Moon to the dark realm. The look of surprise was an added benefit, as Queen Beryl watched her enemy scooped up by the power of the Negaverse, only to be unceremoniously dumped on the floor of Beryl's court. 

"Sailor Moon, how nice of you to drop in," said the dark queen. Sailor Moon gasped, recognition flashing across her pale face. "Welcome to my Negaverse." 

"You're… you're Queen Beryl," Sailor Moon gasped. 

"Yes," said Queen Beryl, nodding her head. "And you remember Prince Darien?" 

The darkness gave way, allowing Sailor Moon to see more clearly. An unmistakable look of shock, of betrayal, settled onto Sailor Moon's face. Prince Darien knelt at Beryl's side, her hand in his, his lips pressed to her hand. 

"Prince Darien, I want that Imperium Silver Crystal now!" 

"Consider it done, my queen," said Darien. He stood, facing Sailor Moon. Darien pulled the sword at his side free from his belt. "It's been sweet, Sailor Moon." 

Darien leapt at Sailor Moon, bringing his sword around in a brutal arc. Sailor Moon managed to roll out of the way just in time. The sword embedded itself in the dark floor, shattering the stone. He yanked it free, and turned to try again. 

"Moon Healing Activation!" Sailor Moon called out, pouring all of her energy into the attempt at healing her lost love. For a just a moment, it looked like the healing light from her crystal was getting through to him; it looked like he was coming back to her. 

"It's no use!" Beryl crowed, laughing darkly. "You can't heal him! When you took one of my Saiyans from me, I made sure to fortify my remaining servants against your power. It would take energy far greater than your crystal to overcome the spell I've placed on him! Prince Darien is mine, now and forever!" 

Prince Darien leapt at Sailor Moon, smashing her hand with the flat of his sword. Sailor Moon screamed in pain, certain that something in her hand was broken. Her wand went skidding across the floor, becoming lost in the darkness. He slammed his foot into her chest, smashing her into the ground. She hit her head hard. 

"Darien!" Sailor Moon gasped, dazed. "Oh, my wand…" 

"It's mine," said Beryl, laughing. Ultimate victory was finally within her grasp. This was the moment to gloat. "As it was meant to be. Your mother managed to keep it from me for a time, but now at last it's mine! Your universe will be no more, only the Negaverse, ruled by Prince Darien and me!" 

Sailor Moon shook her head in silent denial. This wasn't over! This couldn't be how it ended! Not after everything they had been through. Her friends, her love… no! She wouldn't let it end this way. 

"Now Darien get me that crystal!" Beryl ordered. "And get rid of her. She's caused me enough aggravation." 

Sailor Moon struggled to sit up, locking eyes with Darien. "I know she's wrong about you, Darien. You're not evil." Gathering the last of her energy, the girl threw her Moon Tiara at him. Willing it to work, praying for it to work. 

Darien collapsed, the strength of the attack temporarily overwhelming him. Sailor Moon felt the rush of relief leave her, as Darien forced himself to his feet. "I warned you. You can't turn him against me. His mind belongs to the Negaverse now. He'll never turn against his queen!" 

"Goodbye, Sailor Moon!" Darien groaned. He tried to raise his sword over his head, to finish her off for good. The effort was almost too much for him in his weakened condition. 

"Darien, she may have your mind, but your heart belongs to me," said Sailor Moon, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "You remember, don't you?" 

"You are the enemy," Darien said, though there was confusion in his cold blue eyes. 

"No, I'm not," said Sailor Moon, her voice gaining strength. She pulled her locked free from where she always kept it. "Look, Darien. It's our locket. Don't destroy it. Remember, it's our locket, the symbol of everything we shared… all those happy times on the Moon. Don't let her take all of that away from us. Please, Darien." 

The desperation in her voice was evident, even to Darien, but his memory was beginning to return to him, that much was evident as well. "It's me, Darien: Princess Serena. I've come to set you free again, just like I promised." 

"I… remember," Darien whispered. 

"All you have to do is touch it," Sailor Moon said, holding out the locket for him to touch. Hesitantly at first, Prince Darien Champion of the Negaverse reached out and touched the locket. Brilliant white light flooded the dark chamber, forcing Beryl to shield her eyes. Their love had purified him, and rid him of Beryl's control. 

"Oh Darien…" Sailor Moon whispered, hugging the weakened Prince Darien tightly. 

"Thank you. I'm free," Darien gasped, his hand reaching up to stroke Sailor Moon's cheek. 

"This Sailor brat is not going to insult me in my own place!" Beryl snarled to herself. She raised her hands over her head, gathering her magical energies together, crystallising them into a long sharp shard of ice. She hurled the attack at the two lovers. "You are mine!" 

Darien pulled Sailor Moon out of the way, hurling one crimson rose at the attack. The attack shattered, and the rose continued, embedding itself in Beryl's chest. Several of the icy splinters caught Darien. 

"You got her," Sailor Moon whispered, even as the tears welled up in her eyes. She knew enough to recognise fatal wounds when she saw them. 

"You… you haven't seen… the last of me…" Queen Beryl threatened, as the darkness of the chamber swallowed her up. 

Sailor Moon ignored the evil queen. "Oh Darien… Can you hear me? Answer me." 

Darien managed to open his eyes. "I'll… I'll find a way back to you," he whispered, his voice weak and barely audible. 

"Hey, you can call me Meatball Head," Sailor Moon offered, smiling through the tears. She held Darien tight to her chest, even after she felt him die. This couldn't be how it ended. She wouldn't let it end this way… 

*** 

Bra had grown so much as a fighter. She was Pan's equal in strength now, her anger and grief giving her an unstoppable edge over what was controlling Pan. It never really stood a chance, though it had managed to deal some substantial blows. 

Pan was barely conscious. The thing controlling her was pinned down by Bra's weight. 

The two struggled, rolling in the cold ice, but Bra managed to land on top. She punched Pan hard, again and again. With each blow, Pan's energy diminished just a little more. 

Pan could hear the blood rushing in her ears. Every heartbeat brought pain, both physical and emotional. She was going to die, and her best friend was going to be the one to kill her. She sincerely doubted that she could even move, should Bra halt her onslaught. 

Her heart beat. 

Despair swelled in Pan. She was going to die. There was nothing she could do to save herself. 

Her heart beat. 

A swell of anger rose up inside her. She was going to die, and she was helpless to stop it. 

Her heart beat. 

Pan heard a primal scream, and realised it was coming from her broken mouth. With her anger, she felt power coming to her. There was an explosion of brilliant gold light. The entire planet trembled. 

*** 

Bra was thrown violently from Pan. She felt her energy draining away, as she realised what had happened. Anger gave way to fear, and her edge evaporated. 

She was strong, but there was no way she could take on a super saiyan. 

Gravity took hold of her body, pulling her cruelly back down to Earth. She hadn't realised how much energy she'd used against Pan. She could no longer even slow her descent. Bra hit the ground hard enough to bury her in rubble. She was no longer strong enough to free herself from her rocky confines. 

Suddenly, she saw light. Pan was struggling to dig her free. Bra felt Pan's hand reaching for hers. She felt Pan pull her free from the rubble. 

The golden light was gone. The transformation must only have been a temporary one. Even so, when she was free, Bra collapsed on the ice, her energy almost gone. Pan joined her, in a similar state of burn out. "I… think we really overdid it… this time," Pan breathed to her friend. 

The energy provided by Pan's abrupt transformation must have burned away the thing controlling her. 

"Yeah," Bra laughed, though her laughter was weak. She was dying and so was Pan, and both girls could feel it. The fight had taken too much out of them. 

"Pan, I missed you…" 

"I missed you too," Pan whispered, her voice almost inaudible. Bra felt rather than heard her friend die. Pan's energy passed from her body with her last breath. 

There was something strange in the air, a power that Bra couldn't recognise for a moment. Then a smile settled itself on her face. "Amy…" She whispered. Her sister was there, somehow. With that thought, Bra felt her energy let go of her body… 

*** 

There was an explosion. Queen Beryl literally blossomed out of the volcanic crater that had once been her base of operations, laughing. Her hair had turned green, swept up and away from her twisted pale face in gravity defying waves. Her bright orange eyes almost glowed with the power she had received. She was now a monstrous plant-like creature, imbued with the full power of the Negaforce, a small fragment of which had been enough to wipe out the Moon Kingdom. 

There was nothing that could stop her, not even that simpering brat, Sailor Moon. 

"Better enjoy that laugh, Beryl. It's the last one you'll ever have." Beryl turned around to face Sailor Moon. Gone was the cowering weakling. This Sailor Moon was confident and powerful, every bit the image of her mother. "You'll never rule the universe as long as I live." 

"We better get this over with, then," said Beryl, chuckling darkly. There was no way Sailor Moon was going to defeat her. Not with all the power that she now possessed. 

"Let's go to it," Sailor Moon said confidently. 

"You don't know what you're up against. Goodbye, Sailor Moon!" Spreading her hands before her in an expansive gesture, Beryl gathered her energy. Sparks of dark lightning jumped between her hands, eager to be unleashed on her victim. Beryl flung the attack at Sailor Moon. 

Sailor Moon was smashed into the ice, buried by it, consumed by it. The wave of dark energy splintered the ice, and sent Sailor Moon up in a spire of ice. 

For a moment, little more than a long heartbeat, it looked as though Sailor Moon was finished. Then the spire split open like an icy flower. Sailor Moon was gone, and in her place stood Princess Serena, heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom. 

"I will defeat you, Beryl, in the name of the Moon." 

"You?" Beryl asked, almost sounding surprised. "Pitiful little Princess Serena?" 

"I am not afraid of you anymore, Beryl!" Princess Serena announced, producing her wand, and the Imperium Silver Crystal, as if by magic. 

"You should be!" Beryl roared. She spread her arms again, gathering more of her dark power. 

"Cosmic Moon Power! Fight this evil!" Princess Serena yelled. 

With that, she gathered her strength, pouring it into the Imperium Silver Crystal as she had done earlier, this time producing an impenetrable barrier of pure energy. It halted the dark ruler's attack, but made little headway in defeating her. 

"I am not letting you win this one, you witch! My friends and family are counting on me!" 

"Hey Serena, I'll help you with this assignment if you want." Princess Serena heard Amy's voice laugh. 

"You're so stubborn, Serena. Let us help, or I'll never speak to you again." This time it was Rei's voice. 

"Yeah," she heard Lita's voice say. "Let us help you put her away. Still too many guys we gotta meet." 

"Let us help. We haven't known each other long enough for it to end yet," said Mina's voice. 

"Don't forget about us!" Princess Serena didn't recognise this voice, but the speaker sounded very young to her. 

"Serena, it's time for you to believe in us. We may be dead, but we pack quite a punch still!" That was Bra's voice. So she had fallen in combat with her young brainwashed friend. Then the other speaker had to have been Bra's friend. 

Princess Serena closed her eyes, and tried to picture all of them together again, happy, and living in peace. That dream would never come true while Queen Beryl still existed. "I do need your help. All of you. Please, help me stop this evil!" 

"Mercury power!" 

"Mars power!" 

"Jupiter power!" 

"Venus power!" 

One by one, Princess Serena's loyal guardians, her close friends, added their Scout powers to hers. She felt their strength flow through her, empowering her. 

It wasn't until she felt Bra put her hand on her shoulder, and Pan do the same, that she felt their strength added to her own. The sensation was almost overwhelming; Serena had never felt such energy, such immense power. 

"Cosmic Moon Power Unite!" She screamed, pouring all of that power into the Silver Crystal. The resulting energy overwhelmed Beryl in no time. Whatever her boosted powers had been worth, it was nothing before their combined strength. 

"Beryl is gone, blasted back to the Negaverse. The universe is safe again, thanks to you, my friends. Finally we have a chance for peace…" Princess Serena fell to her knees, exhausted. "Real peace." The Princess passed out. The Imperium Silver Crystal glowed brilliantly for a moment… 

*** 

"Where are we?" Pan wondered, kick flipping effortlessly to her feet. The young girl looked around, a clueless look on her face. Bra was still unconscious a couple of feet away, but Pan decided to let her friend sleep. 

The battle between them had been fierce, and giving Princess Serena their energy was more draining than either of the girls could have anticipated. Bra needed her rest. 

"Welcome to the Moon Kingdom, Pan." 

Pan whirled around, a surprised look on her face. Queen Serenity had to smile at how similar her reaction was to Bra's, the first time they met. She too had gathered her energy, ready to destroy whoever was behind her. 

"Who… who are you?" Pan asked, more curious and less cautious than her friend. 

"My name is Queen Serenity," said Queen Serenity, smiling warmly at the young girl. "This is the Moon Kingdom." 

Pan let her reabsorbed the energy that she was going to use against the queen, and relaxed visibly. She allowed her feet to leave the ground, floating up to get a better view of her surroundings. "It doesn't look like much," Pan admitted. 

"It was attacked, long ago," Serenity explained. 

"Is Bra going to be okay?" Pan asked, glancing at her friend. 

"She will be fine," said Queen Serenity sagely. "You both had a difficult fight, and you should both be very proud of yourselves. You both overcame your limitations to achieve something extraordinary." 

"What did we achieve?" Bra asked, sitting up. "We died fighting each other, when we should have been fighting Beryl." 

"You broke free from Beryl's control, both of you. That in itself is not something to scoff at." Serenity reached out, brushed Pan's dark hair from her pale face, smiling warmly at the girls. "In time you may understand what happened here today, but that time is not yet upon us. Be happy." 

That was the last thing either of the two girls saw or heard. They had to shield their eyes as a brilliant light enveloped them in its warmth. Pan thought she heard the distant roar of an animal, but that could just have been her imagination. She felt her conscious mind let go, felt herself drifting off into a peaceful oblivion… 

*** 

"I'm so proud of our Scouts," Artemis said. The white cat sat watching from a nearby rooftop, as Serena dashed hurriedly to school. She slept in again, and was late because of it. "They really did it, and they all came back safe, too." 

The black cat next to him nodded her agreement. "Yes, only now, they don't remember any of it. It's like none of them ever met. They don't remember being friends, or Sailor Scouts. Nothing," Luna responded. 

"Don't worry," said Artemis confidently. "They just need to meet up again, become friends, and then maybe they'll remember." 

They watched as two younger girls, dressed in identical navy blue uniforms, ran to school. "And what of those two? They could potentially destroy the world." 

"They're just kids, Luna, and neither of them was really evil to begin with," said Artemis. "Besides, I doubt they even remember how to use their powers." 

"Race you to school," said the dark-haired girl. 

"You're on!" Her friend responded. Almost as if to prove Artemis wrong, the two younger girls blurred, running faster than the eye could follow. The resulting sonic boom toppled Serena, and set her off crying. 

"We should really keep an eye on them," Luna suggested, with a deep sigh. "Even if they do seem to have forgotten everything…" Artemis could only nod, as they watched the dust cloud kicked up by those two recede into the distance. 


End file.
